New principal at Saint Joseph CHS

Intermountain Catholic

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Lori Walz, who started as principal of Saint Joseph Catholic High School on Nov. 2, greets parents and staff at a gathering on Nov. 3. IC photo/Marie Mischel

OGDEN — A background in education with experience in social work and the nonprofit sector made Lori Walz the ideal candidate for the position of principal at Saint Joseph Catholic High School, said Holy Cross Sister Catherine Kamphaus, superintendent of Utah Catholic Schools.

"The principals in our smaller schools do everything," Sr. Catherine said, "so to have a broader range of experiences was important. But we wanted an educator, too, obviously."

Walz, a native of Minnesota, holds two master’s degrees – one in instruction and the other in psychology. Most recently she was an administrator and teacher at an inner-city public charter school in Minneapolis, Minn. Her other experiences in almost 30 years in the workforce include service as director of religious education and youth ministry in her home parish, as staff and grant writer for an international preparatory school in Winona, Minn., and director of social services for the Good Samaritan Care Center in International Falls, Minn.

"What also attracted me was when I talked to her she is very Catholic. She just oozes it. We don’t see that very often here," said Sister Catherine, adding that Walz was one of three people who were interviewed for the position, and the committee unanimously selected Walz.

Walz said she feels that God has called her to her new position. During the interview with Sr. Catherine, "I told her that this had to be a ‘God thing,’ because six months before I would have said, ‘No, Utah’s too far away,’" she said. "When I started looking at the school it just looked like a wonderful challenge. And every piece of the way, from right before the interview to after, all these little things kept falling into place. It really does feel to me like God said, ‘You are supposed to be here.’ And we are supposed to be his hands and feet and do his work."

Catholic education equips young men and women to be leaders for Christ academically, spiritually and vocationally, Walz said. While she believes students need to develop critical thinking skills, she also is passionate about the arts, and has done a lot of grant writing in this area, she said.

The mother of two children – a son who is enrolled at Colorado University, Boulder and a daughter who works in the arts and social justice in Pennsylvania, Walz began at St. Joseph on Nov. 2.

"I’m proud of my Catholic faith tradition," she said. "It abides in me and it’s an integral piece of who I am but at the same time I’ve been so enriched by my faith experiences with other people of other faiths and I want that to continue."